Direction indicator for automobiles



- Sep fi 2 9 1,598,762

W. EDNARDS DIRECTION INDICATOR FOR AUTOMOBILES 'Filed May 20, 1924 Patented Sept. 7, 1925.

STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

DIRECTION INDICATOR, FOR AUTOMOBILES.

Application filed May 20, 1924. Serial No. 714,590.

This invention particularly pertains to a signaling device of the type such as is employed on vehicles to designate to observers when the vehicle is about to turn to the right or to the left, or to come to a stop, and espe cially relates to the class of signals embodying a manually controlled swinging arm or semaphore.

An object of the invention is to provide a signaling device embodying a swinging semaphore arm with which is associated a series of finger-like blades adapted to be spread into a fan-like arrangement when the semaphore arm is disposed in an operative position and adapted to be folded and concealed when the semaphore arm is in its normal or non-signaling position.

Another object is to provide a simple and eflicient mechanism whereby the semaphore arm and the associated finger-like blades may be effectively operated.

Another object is to provide a means whereby the signaling element may be illuminated when in the signaling position in which the illumination will be controlled by movement of the signaling element.

lVith the foregoing objects in view, together with such other objects and advantages as may subsequently appear, my 1nvention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a view of the signaling device as seen in side elevation with the parts disposed in their normal non-signaling position.

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation showing the device as disposed in signaling Stop.

Figure 8 is a view in side elevation showing the parts as disposed in signaling Turn to the left.

Figure 4 is a view in side elevation showing the parts as disposed in signaling Turn to the right Figure 5 is a view of the signal device as seen in elevation with partsremoved showing the signaling element disposed in its non-signaling position.

Figure 6 is a view in elevation with parts removed, similar to that shown in Figure 5, showing the signaling element disposed in asignaling position.

Figure 7 is a detail in horizontal section as seen on the line 7-'( of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a detail in section as seen on the line 8--8 of Figure 7 Figure 9 is a detail in section as seen on the line 99 of Figure 8.

Referring to the drawings more specificah 1y, 10 indicates a housing of box-like form. one side of which is open as indicated at 11, and which embodies a back wall 12 and side walls 13 and 14: and top and bottom end walls 15 and 16. A semaphore arm 17 is pivoted on a shaft 18 to swing vertically through the open side of the housing 10; the shaft 18 being disposed adjacent the upper end portion of the housing and extending transversely thereof with its end portions carried by the side walls 13 and 14. The semaphore arm is adapted to be normally disposed in a depending position and then be located within the housing. The semaphore arm is formedwith a U-shaped cross section, being provided with a front wall 19, side walls 20 and 21, and a lower end wall 22. WVhen the semaphore arm is in its dependent or vertical position within the housing 10, the side walls 20 and 21 extend parallel with the side walls 13 and 14 of the housing and the front wall 19 extends substantially flush with the outer edges of the housing sidewalls 13 and 14 so as to form a closure for the lower portion of the open side 11 of the housing. I

Aflixed to the side Wall 21 of the semaphore arm and encircling the shaft 18 is a pinion 23 which meshes with rack teeth 24: on a slide bar 25, which bar is mounted for vertical reciprocal movement in a guide sleeve 26 mounted on the back wall 12 of the housing. The lower end of the slide bar is pivotally connected to a link 27 thelower end of which is pivotally attached to a crank 28 on a rock shaft'29, which rock shaft extends through the side wall 14 of the housing and is fitted with a lever arm adapted to be manually operated to eifect oscillation of the rock shaft and thereby impart longitudinal reciprocal motion-to the slide bar,

The lever arm is here shown as provided with a hand-hold 31 that carries a suitable catch indicated at 32 adapted to be detachably engaged with a series of apertures 33 in a segment 34 whereby the lever arm may be held in various positions. I

Pivoted on the shaft 18, is series of finger-like blades 35 indicated separatelyat a, b, c, and (Z which are adapted to. befolded to extend substantially parallel with each other within the semaphore arm when the latter is in its dependent hensignanng position and are also adapted. -to be spread into a fan-like arrangement when the signaling arm is in a signaling. position llhey blades 35 are arranged adjacenttl iei side wall 20' ot the semaphore arm 17 and the outermost blade a is formed with a laterally projecting flange 86, against which slidably bears the outer end portion ofaplate spring 37, the innenend ot ithe spring being, aflixedtoi a standard r block mounted: on the front wall l? of the semaphore arm. The spring 3] 1 exerts vyieldablepressure against the blade (5- tending; to rock the latter outwardly relatiye tot/ the semaphore arm.

; Ihe blades gt,- b,.0,;and Z are eachtorined with ar cuate slots indicated, at e, f, g andh, respectively, extending concentric with the axis oI"; the shaft 18, and mounted on the blades 6," cancldnrepins indicated at, i, 'y' and k, which extend into slots 6, f and g on the blades, a, b and 0,} respeclively; and mounted on the side .wall :20 otfthe semaphorearm iswa pi n Z which extends into theslothon the blade Z. The pin and slot connections wi'thjthe blades a, Z), cand fl serve as slidableconnections between the adjace'nt blades which will pern'litthe blades beingippsitioned substantially, parallel with each other intheir folded position, and yet act onoutwa id movement, oft-he blade a rel ative to the semapnore-arm under action of the spring 37 to successfullyswingthe arms biflftlld cl into yarious, radialpositions on shaft 18 and into a substantially fan-' like arrangement as shown in Figure 6.

F ncir clin-g the shatt lSi is an insulating block 39 which is afliX-ed to the 'pinion 23 to turn,therewithv relative tofthe shaft 18, and carriedon the insulating block is a contact memberAO a a'ptedto be moved in and out ot contact, Wltli, aspring wiper 41 carried by i,' l16;;b &0lyWFrll 12 of the housing and iigsulate dtherefrom; the spring Wiper contact 411 being connected to electrical conductor 42 leading to oneterminal ofa: suitable source pf. electric current supply, not shown, and the contact member being connected to an electrical contact d3 leading to anel-ectric lamp 14 carried on the end wall: tith semaphore arm n One, terminal of the lampis grounded through th'e semaphore arm in such manner that when the contacts 10 and 41 are in contact an electric current will be completed through the lamp to illuminate the latter. Thecontact 10 is so arranged that when the semaphore arm is in its depending position it will be out of contact with the wiper contact member 41 thereby breaking the electric circuit to the lamp ;ib ut when the semaphore arm is moved outwardly the contact member 40 will effect electrical connection with the wiper contact ll to completethe electrical circuit through the lamp. The side walls 20 and 21 of the semaphore arm are formed with elongated openings -15 through which the light from the lamp emanates to either side ot the scmapl-iore arm to render the movement-of the latter in and out of the signafli ig position, clearly visible at night. The under side Ol -the semaphore arm being open,

aportion ofthe light from the armed will be directed onto tl iejbladesfia whereby the latter will be rendered clearly visible at I uitfable means are 'providedi for normally cloting'thefinint of the housing above the semaphore arm 17, irrespective of the position oflthesema-phore arm, which means is here shown as comprisingja slide block 46 mountedtoslid'e vertically in guide channels 1-7and t8 formed in the inner faces of the side walls 13 and 1e, respecti vely, of the housing, tflhe lower end of thesli'dje block 1-6 normally seats on the upper end portionof the froin't wall 19 of the semaphore arm,

as particularly shownin Figure 5, the slide block, movin up anddown in its guide channe'ls together with the semaphore arm, on operatiomof the latter. V H a When the'sem iorearmisfdisposed in its dependi 1g position as shown, in Figure 5, the blades I will extend substantially parallel with eachjot'her within this semaphore arnr and together with the, latter will be concealed from view within thehousing 104 Thespringr 37 will exert a pressure against-the blade at which in turn will bear atits outer or lower end againsttheback a-111 2 off the housing, so that thespring 37 will act to assist the hand operated mechanism in effecting initialoutjward and upwardincrement of 'thesemaphore arm.

rock shaft 29 is oscillated through the medium of the manually controlled lever arm 32, or in any other suitable manner, so as to cause the slide bar 25 to move downwardly and thereby efl'ect rotation of the pinion 3?. which, by reason of being fixed relative to the semaphore arm, will cause the latter to swing outwardly into an inclined position, as shown in Fig. 2, where upon the operator brings the rock shaft to a rest and when so desired causes the semaphore arm to remain in its inclined position by holding the lever arm 30 against movement, as by engaging the catch 32 with the openings 33 in the segment 34. On initial operation of the shaft 29 the semaphore arm will be caused to move quickly from its normal stationary position by reason of the effort exerted'by he spring 37 through themedium of the blade a. As the semaphore arm moves outwardly and downwardly the spring 37 rocks the blade a outwardly with respect to the semaphore arm and thereby causes the blades 7), c, and cl to successively move outwardly into their open or spread position as shown in Figure 6 through the" medium of the pin and slot connections before described. The extent of the outward movement of the blades is limited by the pin Z engaging the end of the slot h in the blade d. The blades will then be disposed in a fan-like arrangement, and will have an ap pearance similar to that of a human hand. As the semaphore arm moves outwardly into its normal position the electric lamp 441: is illuminated as before described.

hen it is desired to signal that the vehicle is to turn to the left the rock shaft 29 is actuated so as to cause the slide bar 25 to move a suliicient distance to move the semaphore arm into a substantially horizontal position as shown in Figure 3. hen it is desired to signal that the vehicle is about to turn to the right the semaphore arm is moved to extend into an upwardly inclined position as shown in Figure 4.

hen it is desired to restore the signal element to the normal position, the catch 32 is released whereupon the semaphore arm will gravitate downwardly to its dependent position and in moving to its non-signaling position within the housing of the outermost blade at will be caused to impact against the back wall 12 of the housing and by reason of the yieldable pressure of the spring 37 thereon will eii'ectively cushion the downward and inward movement of the semaphore and cause the latter to come to rest without noise or jar.

lVhile I have shown and described a specific embodiment of my invention I do not limit myself to the exact details of construction and arrangement shown but may employ such changes and modifications in the parts, and in the construction and arrange ment of parts as may come within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim 1. In a signal device, a vertically swinging semaphore arm, a support therefor, means for rocking said semaphore arm, a series of pivotally mounted blades associ ated with said semaphore arm and movable relative thereto, means whereby said blades will be positioned substantially parallel with each other when the semaphore arm is in a depending position, means whereby rocking one of said blades relative to the semaphore arm will cause the remaining blades to successively move therewith, and spring means carried by said semaphore arm operable to effect movement of said blades on upward swinging movement of said semaphore arm. a

2. In a signal device of the character described, a supporting housing, a semaphore arm pivotally carried by said housing, a pinion aflixed to said semaphore arm concentric with its axis of rotation, a slide bar carried by said housing having rack teeth meshing with sad pinon, means for reciproeating said slide bar whereby oscillation of said semaphore arm will be effected, a series of blades pivotally mounted to swing from a common pivot adapted to be positioned substantially parallel to each other and also adapted to be spread into a fan-like arrangement, and a spring operable to effect movement of said blades relative to said semaphore arm when the latter is swung outwardly on its support.

3. In a signal device of the character described, a housing having an open side, a semaphore arm pivoted in said housing arranged to swing through the open side thereof, a series of blades pivoted to swing on the axis of said semaphore arm adapted to extend substantially parallel to each other and with the semaphore arm when the latter is in a dependent position, a spring arranged to exert a yieldable pressure between one of said blades and the semaphore arm operable to swing said blade into inclined position relative to the semaphore arm when the latter is swung outwardly from its normal dependent position, and means whereby the movement of said spring actuated blade will effect successive move ment of the other blades operable to position the blades in a fan-like arrangement.

4. In a signal device of the character described, a housing having an open side, a semaphore arm pivoted in said housing arranged to swing through the open side thereof, a series of blades pivoted to swing onthe axis of said semaphore arm adapted to extend substantially parallel to each other and with the semaphore arm when the latter is in a dependent position, a spring arranged to, exert. a yieldable pressure betwee-n one of said bladesand the semaphore arm operable to swing said blade into inclined position relative to the semaphore arm when the latter is swung outwardly from its normal dependent position, means whereby the movement of said spring. actuated blade will efliect successive" move-a ment of the other bladesoperable to position the blades in a fan-like arrangement, manually operated means tor controlling and effecting movement of said semaphore arm, and means whereby said spring will co-act with said last named meansiiz'efi'ecting initial movement of said sei'naphore arm from its normal dependent position.

' lVILLIAM WV. EDWARDS. 

